Card readers such as bar code scanners and contactless or EMV contactless smart card readers are well known. Each employs a reliable technology to read the card or document being presented. Bar code readers will use an optical beam to discern the presented bar code. Contactless or EMV contactless readers communicate with an embedded chip for ascertaining an identity code as well as other data. As a result of the different technologies for different card reader systems, the physical configuration of card validator or, more generally, card reader systems have developed to include a target area for card reading that is particularly suitable and effective for the reading technology involved. For example, a bar code reader must facilitate a spacing from the originating point of the bar code optical beam to accommodate transmission and reception across the extent of the subject bar code and its reflection back to an optical/scanner. Thus a bar code reader will seek to direct the user to place the physical item including the bar code at a location to accommodate such spacing. Alternatively, a contactless or an EMV contactless smart card reader needs no such spacing, and typically only requires the contactless or EMV contactless card to be in contactless close proximity to the electromagnetic scanner for ascertaining the desired embedded chip data. The locations for positioning the subject cards or documents to be read are typically referred to as a “target area” and such target areas are intentionally disposed for easy recognition and access by members of the public who would be using such systems.
In card validator systems that are typically employed in public transport, in order to achieve the primary objectives of reliability and speed of processing, such systems have usually employed only a single type of fare media, that is for loading access to a loading platform, individuals must use a single form of card for validation that is selected by the transit system. Where multiple different fare media types are employable, typically a kiosk must be accessed as a preparatory process, or the validators themselves feature separate validation target areas for different reader technology. It has been particularly noticeable that where multiple target areas are presented, the location that where one of the different media is to be presented is not readily obvious to a user.
Yet another problem that exists particularly with regard to EMV validator systems is that the technological evolutions and updates of EMV function readers may occur relatively more rapidly than updates to the overall plural systems (particularly in transport systems) in which they are embedded. Therefore, it can be an advantage to be able to change/update only the EMV reader without changing the bar code reader.